Halitosis, the Silent Affliction: A Profile of Bad-Breath Research

There are some subjects that most people are reluctant to discuss. While theoretically nothing is taboo in the medical literature, doctors as humans are affected by social mores. So when I thought about the general subject of halitosis, or bad breath, I expected to find a dearth of literature on the subject. Actualfy, as is often the case, there is far more literature written on most subjects than you can absorb in a reasonable amount of time. I got interested in the subject because an acquaintance told me he had suffered halitosis due to a chronic, “low-grade” nasal infection. An allergist recommended initial treatment with an antibiotic and then regular use of an antihistamine, and the problem was solved. But this person had not been aware of his bad breath until a close friend had the courage and the interest to tell him, It is difficult to say what percentage of the population suffers from this allergic disorder. They probably represent only a fraction of those who suffer from halitosis. The symptoms, or disease, as the case may be, could be due to a multitude of causes. The collective prevalence of these causes is manifested in the widespread use of products designed to make us temporarily socially acceptable. Millions of people indulge in self-treatment. In fact, Americans alone spend nearly one half billion dollars per year on products designed to overcome bad breath. 1 November 1, 1982 -.